Tainted Love (ON HOLD)
by Mina Lisly
Summary: {FULL SUMMARY INSIDE} Jace is a high-schooler who doesn't have a single friend wether it is at school, or outside of school. In the same high-school, there is a girl, Clarissa Morgenstern that terrifies everyone, teachers and students alike. Will he follow the path of reason, or follow the redhead to the dark side? {OOC/AH/AU} - CLACE - Humour/Drama/Romance/Friendship
1. Author's Note

**My dear little broccolis** 💚💚💚

 **~ So the month of November is coming (I know still three weeks before it comes, but still) and I decided to use the opportunity to do a whole story during that month. You know why? Because it is NaNoWriMo month! So yup, a little fanfic will come out of November. Meaning that I will start writing from the first of November until I finish the story (which will be at least 50'000 words long)**

 **~ At first, I wanted to do it on In The Welfare Of War. But then, I didn't feel good about it, because this story is mostly a rewriting. So I hesitated for a long time between two One-Shots that I did before Fanfic erased all my stories, and I decided to do it on TAINTED LOVE.**

 **~ Know that the rating will be M, mostly because of language. There will be several F-bombs, so you have been warned that this story will have characters with rather foul mouths.**

 **~ For those who already read the One-shot once upon a time, know that it will be a story of what happens between the beginning of that One-Shot and the end. So if you already read it, please do not spoil it for those who didn't.**

 **~ For those who didn't read it yet, well, here comes the plot:**

 _Jace is a high-schooler who doesn't have a single friend wether it is at school, or outside of school. He can't even be qualified as the high-school victim for no-one really pays attention to him. He lives his life by, used to the fact that he is invisible to society, and only dreaming to finish high-school so he can go far away to college and finally become someone._

 _In the same high-school, there is a girl, Clarissa Morgenstern that terrifies everyone, teachers and students alike. Scary rumours fly about her, only engrossed by the fact that she seems to spend as much time in the police station than in school. No one really knows who she is, nor what is her background, only that her Godfather stopped home-schooling her when her first year of high-school came._

 _They never met, and never were supposed to, until their Maths teacher asked Jace to tutor Clarissa Morgesntern for a test he can't afford her to fail. From that moment on, something strange happens to Jace, and he finds himself on a situation he had never seen before. Will he follow the path of reason, or follow the redhead to the dark side?_

 **~ So that's it ... Something rather simple, without big words.**

 **~ I will create a Pinterest board about this story, for** **those interested.**

 **~ Anyway, I will see you on this story on the first of November. But if you're looking forward to this story, don't hesitate on letting me know.**

 **Love, Mina** 💚💚💚


	2. Prologue

**Prologue(0,5K)**

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 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

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 **Jace's PoV**

Life is the most annoying thing there is when you're not good at it. And clearly, I'm not good at it. In my books, there are different ways to be good at being alive. Either you are social, or popular, either you are successful, or happy, either you are a downcast, or a freak. In any of those cases, you interact with people. They know you exist wether it's good or bad. They know you are leaving a carbon footprint on this planet as much as they are. But me? I'm nobody.

I'm the guy people ask 'Who's that dude?' when they see my picture in the yearbook. I'm the guy who always sits in the back of the class and that no one notices he's missing when he's ill. I'm they guy that goes unnoticed, and that all his life long. And not just in school. At the grocery store, at the library (even though I spend most of my time there), and worst of all, even home.

I live with my Mom and big brother, though we don't share the same Dad. Alec is away to college, and to be honest, I don't even see the difference. You know how every one is always saying that the big brother picks on the little one because he feels replaced? Alec never did that to me. He never really acknowledged me, only calling me shrimp when people were around. And Mom let him do it without ever saying once a word about it.

And let's talk about my Mom. She's here. And I'm her son. But ... I don't think she likes me being her son. Most of the time, it's like Alec, I don't exist to any of them. So I stay locked in my room, and only come out for dinner where she asks me the basics and I answer with the basics.

So yeah, I suck at the game of life. Maybe one day I will get better, but I highly doubt so. Especially when I look at myself in the mirror. I have to admit, I don't put a lot of efforts in my looks, unlike Alec. But he does stay hours in the bathroom, for other reasons that are obvious to anyone who ever heard a Village People song. I usually wear his hand-me-downs, but since he has always been tall and muscular (he works out a lot), it looks like I'm wearing baggy cloths. Even though I wash my hair every day, it is still greasy, and I don't want to shave it because I have an ugly scar on my skull. The only good thing is, I am one of those lucky teens that don't have acne. Alec had a lot, to which he responded with tons of products. I don't have much. Just a zit every now and then.

Anyway, all of this to say that I'm a nobody, not even an ugly duckling, just the last blank page of a book that no one ever notices, because who actually turns to the very last page a book that they already know ended?

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **?Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed?**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina**

 **?** **?**


	3. 1- Tutoring

**1\. Tutoring (1,5K)**

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 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

I can't believe I got stuck on tutoring Clarissa Morgentern. _Clarissa Morgenstern_! She's a freaking psycho! Everyone in school knows that. Actually, scratch that. Everyone in _town_ knows that! She's that type of kid everyone knows about, but no one ever dares talk to her, because no one wants to end up missing a limb (or just missing as a matter of fact.) I mean, even teachers let her do whatever the Hell she wants. She can show up late, or ditch as much as she wants, I've never seen any single teacher tell her something.

It's true that she has kind of a reputation. And it's not the usual rumours you have about your usual serial killer. I mean, of course there are the rumours that every week or so, she is at the police station, or the rumours that she slept with half the boys of the neighbouring town. But there are other rumours that are … clearly out of the ordinary.

See, Clarissa Morgenstern is an orphan who lives with her Godfather. So far, nothing really out of the ordinary. But some people say that she's an orphan because she's the product of science, and she killed her parents (the mad scientists) in an excess of rage. Some people say that her mother was a prostitute who died from HIV, and that she never knew her baby's father. Other people say her father is a serial killer, and that he isn't really dead, just on the run, but that he still comes from time to time to check on her. Personally, I think the most ridiculous one is the one saying that her Godfather is a cannibal who would eat anyone annoying his Goddaughter.

I have to admit that it is strange that no one in town ever saw her Godfather. They live a little out of town, and no one knows what he does for a living. And he never _ever_ came to school. Wether it was for the end of the year, or to pick up his Goddaughter, no one had actually ever seen him.

So all of this to say that yes, Clarissa Morgenstern is scary. I don't think I ever saw her do anything that could justify me being scared like that, especially when the girl isn't that very tall to begin with; it's just the aura she has around her. It's like there is a bubble around her that says loud and clear: 'Touch/talk to me, and I'll kill you'. And like I said, even teachers are scared, so I'm not being much of a chicken.

Anyway, with a loud heave, I open the classroom where I'm supposed to be tutoring, thinking that I should grow some guts and learn to say no when I don't want to do something. I mean, what does Pangborn think he will get out of this? It's not like Clarissa shows up in Maths, let alone tutoring. It's like refusing stitches, but taking the bandages. it makes no sense. So it's with a little hope that I sit on a chair, opening my bag as I reason myself that she won't show up. She'll ditch me, just like she ditches classes, and though I'll end up looking like a fool in the end, I will still be alive.

But as a part of my mind chastises me for agreeing this stupid idea of tutoring in the first place, Clarissa opens the door and enters the classroom. I can't stop myself from gulping as she glances in my direction, but I can clearly see the disappointment as she's looks at me from head to toe. Well, I guess we're both disappointed. I'm disappointed the she showed up, and she's disappointed that I'm me. But I'm used to that feeling.

Without saying a single word, not even a polite hello, she straddles to the opposite side of the room, and sits on a chair, balancing herself a little so her feet can rest on the table. And I can't help but think that Mom would be so appalled by this behaviour so 'unladylike' Especially when she's wearing a skirt.

She closes her voices, and lays her head backward as she says in a very distinct and commanding voice: "I'll stop you right here. There is no need for you to teach me any of this shit. I'm not interested, and I don't want to hear your stupid voice blabbering about stupid Calculus."

"So why did you even agree on this tutoring? I have other things to do than lose my time with people who won't even try!" I can't help but whine because I could seriously use that time to go to the library and study Chemistry (since I clearly suck in that department). I could have done something useful with myself instead of being stuck an hour in a classroom with the girl version of Ivan Milat.

Very slowly, Clarissa lifts her head up, looking at me straight in the eyes while her eyebrows are up with a fake interest; and my heart stops while fear freezes it. I men, this is _Clarissa Morgenstern_ we're talking about. This girl probably has a cemetery full of people like me in her backyard! Maybe she actually has a gun hidden under her skirt, and she'll pull it to shoot me for talking back at her. Or maybe she'll dissect a kidney out of me and sell it to the black market.

When I finally swallow, I can hear the gulp that I made, and I'm sure that Clarissa has too, if her smirk is any indication; but that doesn't mean that she looks away, and too I cowardly look down my papers. Seriously, why did I open my big mouth? Now, my face is going to end up on milk cartons (that is when Mom will realise that I'm missing). I know that I'm being a big checkin here, but what did you really expect coming from _me_?

"I just wanted Pangborn off my back," Clarissa says as I open my maths book. "It's getting hard to ignore him when he calls my home every fucking night. He's spoiling my voicemail."

I don't reply anything, my eyes set on my homework; and after a while, I hear her looking for something in her bag. I glance up, hoping that t's not a knife or something, But I only see that she's lighting a cigarette. I roll my eyes, thinking that of course, she had to go against a rule, if she was kind enough to at least show up at tutoring.

"You shouldn't do that," I mumble under my breath, more to myself than to her. I know, I should mind my own business, but cigarettes are kind of a trigger for me. Mostly because my father died of a lung cancer. Sure I was young and all, but I was the one holding his freezing hand when the last breath of life escaped his lips.

"Why?" She asks with a smirk. "Because I might die of cancer? Do I have to remind you that we all die of something sooner or later. Wether it's being hit by a car, having cancer, or age catching up, we all finish six feet under."

"My father died of cancer," I snap back, because I want to make her uncomfortable. I look back up to her, hoping to see remorse of some kind on her face. But she just shrugs, her smirk still on her face as she victoriously replies:

"Like I said, we all die of something."

I swallow my anger and look back at my homework. Crazy, that girl is _crazy_. I start doing my equations and I hear that she paces through the room, exhaling her smoke every once in while. At some point, she is behind me, but I don't give her any attention, and bury myself back in my x and y.

"This one is wrong," She suddenly says, her finger pointing the last equation I just did. "And you're supposed to be my tutor. Pangborn is _really_ a joke!" She mocks, walking away to the window in order to throw the butt of her cigarette.

Then, she goes back to her seat and she takes out of her bag some piece of clothing; and before I know it, she's taking off her top. _What's wrong with this girl_?!

" _What are you doing_!?" I yelp. Mostly because it's the first time I'm seeing a girl in a bra. I mean an actual _real_ girl.

She glances in my direction, and I notice a long scar on the side of her body. Clarissa smirks before she puts another shirt on her, one with two skulls and red roses in their mouths. I let my eyes travel on her legs that are long, despite her shortness. I look at her plaid skirt over her holed thighs, and she puts another cigarette in her mouth as she assures me:

"Don't worry, pretty boy. I don't touch nice boys. I leave the goody to shoes where they belong. With their mommies."

And with those words, she leaves the room, winking at me as she closes the door.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina**


	4. 2- Shrimp, The Tutor

**1\. Shrimp, The Tutor (2,0K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

I've been tutoring Clarissa for two weeks now, and you know what's crazy, she came every single day. She was even on time. Okay, she still didn't want me to tutor her. So she would just sit there, smocking her stupid cigarettes, and I would do my homework in my corner.

Sometimes, I would feel her gaze on me, but I would always pretend that I am not fazed by it. I mean, I don't really care about her. I only care that thanks to her I have extra credits. Maybe I'll be able to go to Harvard. Probably. My grades are more than goods (if you don't count my disaster in Chemistry).

Mom says that it's because I don't work enough on it, but I really work my butt off on this subject. It's just that I don't get it. I really don't. Chinese mixed with Ancient Greek is more comprehensible than Chemistry.

I'm actually at the library, trying really hard to finish this homework for Professor Herondale when Professor Pangborn appears next to me. I politely smile to acknowledge him, and look back at the mess that is my Chemistry homework. Seriously, why am I trying so hard? It's not like I'll be needing Chemistry to become the lawyer that I want to be.

My Maths teacher sits on the chair beside me, and then he asks me: "How are the lessons going with Morgestern?"

I look up to my professor, knowing that he's worried about her not coming to the tutoring, because honestly, she doesn't come to his classes that often. Since I started tutoring her, Clarissa must have come to only two Maths classes. I actually gathered the courage to ask her about it, and she shrugged it off saying that she would usually sleep at that time.

"She's coming to the tutoring. And she knows her equations," I truthfully say. Actually, a part of me is sure that she's actually better than me in Calculus. I think that if she's failing it, it's just because she never goes to class (because she lazily sleep in). So when we have an exam, she's ditching, and so she has an automatic zero.

"Please, make sure that she comes to the next exams. An inspector will be here, and I don't want my appreciation to down because she won't be there."

I nod, and so he adds: "As a token of my gratitude, I'll let you know what will be the subject."

And saying so, he slips a piece of paper in my direction, and I grin as he goes away. I'm sure that he mostly did that so I will get Clarissa ready for the test. I mean, he highly implied in class that the test will be on the chapter we're studying right now. But now, the piece of paper clearly says that it will be on the last chapter. I'm so going to study this chapter like never before.

I'm so happy about this. This is a grade I won't have to worry about. I know, it's a bit like cheating, but I'm not the one who started it. So it's okay, I guess. I'm actually so happy that I can't concentrate on stupid Chemistry anymore. So I directly go to the tutoring class, and surprise, Clarissa is already there.

She's on the phone with someone, rapidly talking in a very fluent Spanish before she spots me and ends curtly the conversation. Then she goes sit at her usual seat, and lights her cigarette. I glare at the death stick, and go to sit next to her unlike the normal times.

She raises her eyebrows at me, and I take my books out of my bag as I mumble under my breath: "Maybe we could actually do some actual tutoring today."

Clarissa doesn't say anything for a very long time, until I don't have any other choice but to look at her. And surprise, she's smirking at me. She always does that, smirk at me as if she's thinking of some joke about me.

"Let me rephrase what I told you during our first 'tutoring session'. I don't need your bullshit, Pretty Boy," She says, her verdant eyes planted in mines. I swear I feel like she can dissect me in a second with her scary green eyes. She's too freaking scary. I'm so going to die in a matter of seconds!

So,I decide to do the reasonable thing, and I look away. She scoffs, and then she instructs me: "Do your useless homework, Pretty Boy. And leave me the Hell alone."

"It's just that the test is Monday," I grumble, more to myself the to her.

I mean, the teacher expects me to convince her to come to his class. This is so stupid. As if me, of all the people of this school, would have any sort of impact on Clarissa. I never should have agreed on this tutoring. It was so stupid and pretentious of me. It's not like I'm tutoring her anyway. I'm useless, and we both know it.

So I just take my Chemistry book, and I try to get that nonsense that is that stupid subject as she gets up, inhaling on her stupid cigarette. Several times, she passes behind me, and I can hear her chuckle under her breath. The thing is, Clarissa is the best in Chemistry. People used to think that it was because she was sleeping with Professor Lewis, but when he got fired and she came back from her suspension, it became obvious that she was just good in that stupid subject. Life is unfair sometimes.

"Who are you?" She suddenly says, and I snap my head up to look at the doorframe where Clarissa is looking at. And there, I see my older brother, Alec, who is back from College because of a depression, or something. He doesn't seem that depressed to me. He's out partying every night, and Mom says nothing about it. She even has the indecency to say that he needs to evacuate.

"The nerd's cooler brother," My traitor of a brother says, pointing at me with his chin; and so I grumble under my breath:

"Shut up, Alec"

"What?" He mockingly says. "What can be more nerdy than to give tutoring lessons to the school's badass?"

At this, Clarissa snickers, rejoiced by the fact that my brother obviously enjoys mortifying me. I look up at her, and she longly inhales on her cigarette, checking Alex up and down. Alec smirks at her when he catches her obviously picturing him naked, and I inwardly roll my eyes. Girls always drool over that stupid face that is my brother, but he's gay, gay, gay. Pluto has more chances to become once again a planet than Alec to plunge his dick in a girl.

And still, he doesn't let Clarissa know about his liking about stumbles and dicks. Why should he, anyway? She's too young for him. And she's a she. This is so not of my business anyway. I look back on my homework, desperate to ever finish it, and then I start putting my stuffs back in my bag. But of course, Alec starts getting impatient with me.

"Hurry up, shrimp. It's already bad enough that I have to waste my quality time on dropping you at the doctor's," He complains and I repress from whimpering of embarrassment. Thank God Clarissa is not one to gossip. The whole wide world doesn't need to know that my big brother takes me to the doctor because I still don't have a car.

I hurriedly put my stuff in my bag, all the while hearing Clarissa chuckle at me (because half of it fell on the floor), and my so-called brother tells her: "He has non-existent testicles. We're going to check why."

I clearly liked Alec better when he was in College. Why did he have to come back, when it's clear enough that he's not that depressed? It's like he's back just to embarrass me. Clarissa literally snickers at my obvious pain, and then she grabs her untouched bag and says:

"Let's end the torture here, then. Not that I don't enjoy those tutoring lessons, but I really don't enjoy them. Pointless and useless, they are," She says, and I can't help but compare her last sentence to something Yoda would say. So maybe she's scary, but at least she has cool movie references.

I don't really look at her walking out of the room, but once my backpack is on my back, I turn, and I see her whisper something to Alec's ear. Alec raises an eyebrow and smirks at her as if she just promised him an early Christmas gift, and then she leaves, not glancing toward me even once.

Alec looks at me, and then he says: "Hurry up, shrimp. I just got myself a rave for the weekend."

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

.

It's Monday morning, and we're all in Professor Pangborn's class, ready to take the test. I feel really bad for him, because Clarissa is so not going to come to the exam. I mean, she spent her whole weekend at that rave thingy with Alec, doing drugs, alcohol, and other crazy illegal things people do at that kind of events. I don't know, Alec came home completely dead to the world just as I was leaving for school. So I'm sure Clarissa is also sleeping to her death in her home.

But she actually came. She arrives just as the second bell rings, and sits just in front of Professor Pangborn's desk, where he kept her a table. He seems kind of relieved that she's here, and then he gives us the top to start the test. The test is hard, though I already knew what it would be about, I'm still struggling. And I studied all weekend long about it! I'm so not going to have a top grade on this one. _Stupid Calculous_.

After not even twenty minutes, Clarissa gets up and gives her paper to Pangborn under everyone shocked eyes. I'm not even at the quarter of the paper. Oh my God! She completely gave a blank paper! It's completely going to be my fault. Pangborn is so going to make sure that I fail his class. This is the end of my career as the best DA of all times. Maybe I can still be a lunch lady. I just need to find a fake pair of boobs. Maybe I'll steal Pamela Anderson's and apply in this very school.

Or maybe I should try to stop dramatising my life, and actually finish this test the best I can.

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

.

I don't know why we still have the tutoring, the test was this morning, there's no need for it anymore. But sill, Clarissa comes in the room, but instead of sitting at her usual place, she sits next to me. She longly looks at me, her eyes looking down at my bulge several times, and I can't help but twitch at that.

Slowly, she takes off her plaid skirt, and her black top; and so I swallow hardly. Her lips lined with a dark lipstick spread into a smirk as she lustfully says: "Instead of doing Maths, maybe you should do me."

I don't say anything, my mind too busy on assimilating the fact that Clarissa Morgenstern is now standing in front of me, in underwear and stockings. And that sight is so hot. I really want to do her, like she said, but I'm kind of frozen in the spits.

She ravages my body with her eyes, and her smirks gets even wider when her gaze falls on my laps.

"Or maybe, I should do you," She sultrily whispers in my ear, straddling my laps in an agonising sweet friction. I should really tell her to stop, but the smirk on her face tells me that she can feel how much I want this.

She's just so hot, and the fact that she's only in her panties on top of me is not helping. Maybe this is the day I'll finally lose my virginity. Maybe this is the day I'll have sex with an actual girl, and not my stupid hand. Maybe I should try to do something instead of doing nothing.

"You're making me so fucking wet," She husks her hands trailing my body all the way down, and once she finally has a firm hold on me, once she leans forward to kiss me, I wake up.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. Hihi, a nice little dream in the end.**

 **2\. What do you think of Clary so far?**

 **3\. And what are your thoughts on Alec?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	5. 3- The Badass & The Dolphin

**2\. The Badass & The Dolphin (1,3K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

You know what's more humiliating than having a wet dream about the school's badass? Having that said badass effortlessly beat you at the Maths test you studied so hard for. I mean, she's the one who had to go to freaking tutoring, and I end up having a lesser grade than her. And she left before everyone, her hands in her pockets as if nothing. Life is unfair.

So yeah, Clarissa is actually good in Maths. She just doesn't want to bother with coming to class, or to tests. I wish I could be good like her. Especially in Chemistry. You know she's the best in Chemistry. It's not that she's more faithful to this class than to another, it's just that everyone can witness it firsthand.

Last year, when it became obvious that she knew her stuff in Chemistry, all the students thought that it was because Mr Lewis was having sex with her. Well, that's what I learned not long ago, when Mr Lewis didn't come back for Chemistry this year and was replaced by an old grandma with whom I understand nothing.

I liked Mr Lewis. He used to give me links to understand his incomprehensible subject. He was really nice, and he never seemed annoyed by my thousands of emails when I didn't understand a homewok (which was hapening a every given week). That Mrs Herondale, not so much. And so I'm completely failing her stupid and useless class.

I actually don't understand why there is only Mr Lewis who's blamed for this whole affair with Clarissa. Two are needed to have sex. For what I heard, the two of them have been having sex for the whole past year, and many students knew about it. Something about seeing them together several times at the mall, being extremely close. I don't know, all I know is that Mr Lewis is gone, and my grades are dropping.

Hence the me standing at the library until unbelievable hours. I mean, it's Friday night, it's almost midnight, and I'm just leaving the library. Maybe I should actually buy a tent and spend my life there. It's not like I have a social life, or that anyone home would miss me, anyway.

Or maybe I should grow a pair, and ask someone to tutor me. But the thing is, Mrs Herondale's class is so hard that everyone is struggling. Everyone but Clarissa. And there's no way I'll ask her to tutor me. She'll probably kill me on sight, or call me a goody-to-shoes again, anyway.

As I'm about to pull my bike into the garage, the front door opens, and so I stay in the shadow of the driveway, just behind the bush Mom struggles so much to make grow. And so I watch my older brother holding the door to Clarissa, his height hovering her petite frame.

Alec is smirking at her, his shoulder leaning against the doorframe as Clarissa tilts her head up to him, and he whispers lowly (probably to not wake up Mom): "Well, it was definitely new, and definitely appreciable. Especially that thing you did with your leg …"

Wait, what? Did I hear properly? What does he mean that thing with her leg? Alec shouldn't talk about girls' legs. He's gay! Gay as a dolphin! I mean, he had a super huge fight with his father when he came out of the closet, two years ago. Mom had to intervene, and threaten Alec's father (we're only related by our mother, thank God I didn't have Robert as a father).

And now, I catch him shagging around with the most deranged girl of my school. What's wrong with the world?! It's not like he doesn't know who she is. Mom whined enough about me having to tutor her. And she almost had a heart attack when she learned that Alec went to a rave party with Clarissa. She used a lot of 'scary' words such as drugs, arrest, delinquant, and such things. I'm sure Alec snuck Clarissa into the house without Mom's knowledge.

Clarissa smirks at him, and taps his chest before she steps out of the house; and starts walking away as Alec closes the door behind her. Geez, I can't believe those two had sex. My older brother, and the badass of my school! If I had any friends, I would have definitely gossip about this. I mean, it's something, right?

"I know you're a nerd and all, but it's creepy to spy on people the way you do. You look like those crazy psychos from the movies," Clarissa suddenly says, her head slightly turned so she can look at me above the bush. How did she know I was here? I know I should come up with an excuse, but all I can think of, it's that Alec had sex with her.

"You know my brother's gay, right?" I tell her, because it' still unbelievable what happened between the two of them.

"He is? Well, here's a piece of news that makes it more thrilling," She says with a snicker as I open my eyes widely. This girl is just too weird. What's thrilling about having sex with a gay guy?

"But … you're a chick." I uselessly point out, and Clarissa smirks. I swallow hard because I noticed during our session of 'tutoring' how her smirks actually enlightens her face. You know, it's as if there's a cloud on her face and that her smirk is the sun, chasing the cloud away. How weird does that sound?

"You could look good, you know," Clarissa suddenly says, ripping my attention away from her pink lips. "Lose the baggy clothes and the greasy hair. And feel some confidence, somehow. Confidence is the key to get girls."

I'm about to snap at her that I don't need any help to get girls (which entirely false), but she smirks again, adding: "Do you actually know how to kiss a girl?"

How humiliating! I do know how to kiss a girl! … Theoretically. Clarissa takes my silence for what it is, the truth that I never kissed any actual girl, and she smirks, closing the distance between us. My hands are still on my bicycle, gripping it a little tighter, and when she's at my level, she levels herself up on one of the pedal, finding a perfect balance on a very unstable place.

"First you look at her in the eyes," She says, looking at me in the eyes. I should step back and tell her to leave, but somehow I can't manage to do so. "Then you gently cup her face by removing the strands of hair on her face, never looking away from her eyes." She does exactly what she told me, and I feel a lump growing in my throat as my lips grow dry. "When she swallows and slightly parts her lips, you swiftly glance at her lips before going back to her eyes?" She says, describing exactly what I just did.

And then, she slowly leans forward and kisses me on the lips as I close my eyes of anticipation. I don't really know what happens when our lips touch, but it feels like I'm alive. I partly open my mouth, and she does the same, and in one swift motion, I lift her up and tackle her against the foil door of the garage.

Once my body is against hers, I feel her tongue on my lips, and so I open my mouth wider to do the same thing to her as my hands go up and down her small body, not sure of where they should settle. And then, just like that, she breaks the kiss and pushes on my chest so she can have some space.

She smirks at me as I'm still shocked and panting about what happened, and she says: "Well, at least you have some male instincts crawling inside you."

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. Hihi, a nice little kiss...**

 **2\. So? Clary and Alec had sex ...**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	6. 4- Chemistry

**4\. Chemistry (1,0K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

It's been two weeks since that crazy kiss I had with Clarissa, and I can't stop thinking about it. _All the time_!

Especially at night. I just simply _can't_ stop thinking about it. About how I loved the sensation of her soft lips on mines, on how she aroused me just with one simple kiss, on how I wish this could go to something more.

So I asked Mom to buy me new clothes, clothes that weren't too large for my skinny self and that Alec hadn't worn once long ago; and I conjured the moral force to wake up earlier every morning to jog. Alec is making fun of me, because he says that there's a girl behind my sudden change. Of course, I completely and vehemently deny it, and since I've always been the good boy, Mom believes me. Let's hope she'll never know that I'm crushing on _Clarissa Morgenstern_! She'll have a heart attack.

And now, I'm sitting next to her in stupid Chemistry (it's a miracle, she came to class), and I'm praying that she's noticing the changement in me. But she's acting like always, scribbling on her papers as Mrs Herondale is dictating. I'm trying to understand one word out of ten, but Chinese mixed with Ancient Greek is definitely more comprehensible. I'm so going to fail this grade. And there is Clarissa, completely oblivious about that class.

"Do you even care about final exams?" I ask her in a whisper, and this makes her stop whatever she was doing on her notebook. Slowly, she turns her head to me, narrowing her eyes at me as she snaps:

"Why do you care?"

I try to hold her gaze, but end up looking back at my notes, though I mumble under my breath: "Because it seems unfair that you're not doing any efforts and still end up having good grades."

This makes her chuckle a bit, and she tells me: "It's okay, Pretty Boy. Not everyone can be a genius like me."

Talk about modesty. I can tell that she's grinning at me, so I'm not sure if she's teasing me, or if she really means her words. It's hard to say with her.

"If you're such a genius, maybe you should tutor me. So I can finally understand something in that mess," I retort, and she literally bursts in laughter.

The whole class turns to us, and I know that all the blood left my cheeks. Did she seriously just _laughed in class_?! She doesn't even seem fazed by Mrs Herondale's hard look on us, and she just squabbles something on a piece of paper. Then, she gets up and starts to walk out of the room as Mrs Herondale scowls her:

"Where do you think you're going, Morgenstern?"

"Somewhere fun," Clarissa simply answers, before walking to the board and erasing a part of a formula. Then she writes something there, saying: "That's been bugging me since you wrote it. Wouldn't want the class to turn blue, now, would we?"

The whole class looks back at the board, trying to understand what the professor wrote wrong for us to turn blue, but me, I look down at the piece of paper that she left me: **_For tutoring, meet me there._**

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

.

After school, I take my bicycle and go to the place Clarissa wrote to me. And it's definitely not what I expected. Really. It's a bar, in the bad part of town. I should listen to my mother's voice inside my head, telling me to go back home. But I don't. I park my bike in front of the bar, praying that no one will steal it, and shakily enter in, doing my best to avoid looking at any scary biker. I'm going to be skinned tonight. And used as human sacrifice, or something. _Please save me_.

I find Clarissa sitting at a table, squabbling on papers as a biker talks in her ear. And that's when she looks up and sees me. She looks surprised. She probably thought I'd run off at the sight of the bar. To be honest, I'd like to, but my legs won't listen. I'm such a chicken.

So I walk to her, and sit in front of her, taking my books off my bags just so I can escape her gaze. I swear, she's scarier than Mom when Mom is angry.

For a while, Clarissa doesn't say a thing, but then, she takes my chemistry book, and _teaches me chemistry_! What the actual heck? I thought she thought tutoring was a joke! I didn't really want tutoring from her. I wanted … well, not tutoring.

But I have to admit, I understand what she's talking about. It's like she's a translator for Chinese mixed with Ancient Greek. She's even better than Mr Lewis. And after an hour of enlightenment about the mysteries of Chemistry, she closes the book, saying that she doesn't want to surcharge my 'pretty head'.

I internally growl, because I really don't like when she's calling me 'pretty' like that. It makes me feel like a baby. And so I decide to show her that I can be a man, too. That she should forget about calling me pretty boy all the time.

"I was thinking that maybe … maybe … you and I…"

She starts chuckling on my stuttering, and shakes her head as she leans to me: "Confidence, Pretty Boy. I told you, confidence is the key."

I swallow hard, my eyes flying automatically to her lips, and something there helps me formulate the sentence: "Would you go on a date with me?"

At least, Clarissa doesn't laugh at me. She only smirks at me, and tells me in a whisper: "I don't do nice boys, Pretty Boy."

And then she gets up, and walks to some random biker, playing her fingers on his shoulder. He turns his head to her, and she asks him with a pouty voice if he can drop her off, everything in her posture saying that there'll be more than a dropping off if he does.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1.** **Hoooo Jace grew some balls, and asked Clary on a date.**

 **2\. So? Clary and that biker now ...**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	7. 5- On The Rooftop

**5\. On The Rooftop (1,0K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

Mrs Herondale is not here today, which means I have a free period. Usually, I spend those on the rooftop so I can be alone and no one can bother me. And so that's what I do. The weather is still quite nice for a month of October. I mean, it's not raining, not too cold, and there's still a little of sun. It's perfect. I'll be able to just relax there. Maybe I'll read in advance the book the English teacher gave us to read for the end of November.

But as soon as I reach the rooftop, I see Clarissa laying there, earbuds in her ears, a cigarette in her mouth and her legs resting up on the balustrade. As if she heard me, she removes her sunglasses and glances in my direction with annoyance.

"What are you doing here Pretty Boy? You're supposed to be in class," She asks, everything in her tone saying that she is displeased to have been disturbed. Maybe she'll throw me off the roof.

"You're not the only one who's allowed to ditch class," I retort, unaware of where those suicidal words came from. It's like I don't want to live.

Clarissa raises her eyebrows at me before putting her sunglasses back on place and inhaling a puff out of her cigarette. Then, she states the obvious: "The teach's not here, right?"

I'm that much of a nerd. If someone sees me outside a classroom, they'll automatically assume that the teacher isn't here, not that I'm skipping class. How pathetic.

I hesitate on just leaving her be, when I decide to stay. Which is ridiculous. I mean, I am clearly not her type, so what's the point of staying around her. I'm too nice for her, not some weird scary biker, or confused gay guy back from college, I have no chances with her. … Unless I show her that I can be as bad as her, that I am not as nice as she thinks.

So I just sit on the spot I squally use under her shaded eyes. There's a small smirk spreading her lips before she sits in a more normal position and states: "Yeah, Herondale won't last long."

"That's not nice to say," I reply in a murmur and she chuckles, pointing an accusing finger at my face:

"You have quite a morbid mind. I was saying as a teach. She has Parkinson. Quite a strong case."

"No, she doesn't," I retort with force, because it's not very nice to say that either. Clary shakes her head, her red hair flying around her and she says:

"Thank God, you're pretty. Because that head of yours is completely empty and oblivious."

Here comes the 'pretty' word again. Can't she just forget about it? I am not pretty. Can't she just use another word to qualify me. Something other than pretty and cute.

"Why did you come to school if you're ditching anyway?" I ask her, just to change topic about my pretty and empty head.

She smirks and lays on her back, looking at the sky, her cigarette in the corner of her mouth. And as much as I hate those death stick, I still find her beautiful like that, her shades on, her white loose tank top and her skinny black jeans. But well, I think Clarissa is beautiful no matter what she wears. No matter how scary she looks, she is beautiful. She's a redhead, deep scarlet red. And it suits her so well because she has a skin so white that it looks like porcelain, even though she has bruises appearing here and there on her arms. I've never really paid attention to her face, because like I said many times before, she has a scary way to look at people, but she has a petite face. In her whole, she has a petite everything. Except her legs. Her legs are rather long. Or they seem so when she wears skirts or skinny jeans.

"I'm waiting for Simon to finish his interview," She says as if nothing, and I'm so surprised that she actually told me something about her. I was really expecting her to ignore me and tell me to mind my fucking business.

"Simon?" I repeat, playing with my luck, and she shrugs as she answers:

"The former Chem' teach'."

"Mister Lewis is here?" I muse, thrilled that he's back. Maybe my grades will come back up. But then something hits my brain. "Wait? Since when are you in first name bases with Mister Lewis?"

"Didn't you hear? I slept with him. It was the talk of the school. I mean, even you must have heard of that," She lightly says and I shrug:

"I did. But I don't believe it."

It's true. I don't think they had sex. Or maybe I like better to think that they didn't. Clarissa longly looks at me before her phone buzzes and she looks down on it. Then she texts back whoever texted her, as she tells me:"You can be smart sometimes."

Then, she gets up and stretches her limbs as she keeps on surprising me: "You should come by the arcade tomorrow night. I mean, you're a nerd, you must know how to play video games, right?"

"Of course," I lie, because I know nothing of video games. But, Clarissa just invited me somewhere. _Me_. Of course I'm going to take this opportunity. She smirks and blows me a kiss from afar before leaving and saying:

"See you tomorrow, Pretty Boy."

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. And Jace is going to go to the Arcade with** **Clary ... Even though he's lame at video games. I do understand him though**

 **2\. So? Clary and Simon now ... Are you like** **Jace, or do you believe the rumours?**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	8. 6- Dinner

**6\. Dinner (0,5K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

I'm looking down at my pastas, wishing Mom would put some green in it instead of meat. I don't know, meat is starting to … not be appealing to me. To be honest, I'm not really paying attention to what is happening around the table, I'm more focused on Clarissa's last words. Should I go to the arcade? I want to, but not for the reasons she thinks I'd want to. And I'm extremely lame at video games. Alec pointed that enough times during my whole childhood.

Suddenly, I hear him asking for money to go out tomorrow night, and decide that this is my chance: "Can I, too, have some money to go out, please Mom?"

As I say those words, Alec drops his fork and looks at me as if I were a freak. Thanks for the support, bro. Mom is nice enough to just seem surprised, and not shocked, and she politely asks: "Are you going out with some friends?"

"He's a nerd, Mom. He doesn't have friends!" Alec states, and I do my best to keep the hurt hidden inside me. Mostly because it is true. I don't have friends. How sad is this?

"I do have friends!" I retort, just so once I can shut Alec up. "I'm meeting Simon and his friend at the arcade!"

Okay. This is a complete lie. I don't know Simon. I barely know mister Lewis. And I don't know Clarissa either. And we're so far from being friends. But I'm not stupid. Mom will never let me go anywhere if she knew whom I wanted to meet.

"Simon? That name sounds so made up," Alec accuses before he adds: "But then again, why would you lie? But ... aren't you extremely lame at video games? You should go to the movies instead of wasting money at something you know you'll fail."

I decide to ignore him and look at Mom as I insist: "So? Will you give me the money for me to go out?"

And without hesitating a second, Mom agrees, which makes me victoriously grin at Alec. He always had to beg when he was my age. I guess Mom trusts me more than him.

I get up from the table, saying that I'm not angry, and go to my room, so happy that I'll get to see Clarissa outside of school. Maybe I can even consider this as a date. Like our first date. Maybe she'll kiss me again. That would be great. I hope she will. Yeah, let's just go to sleep with that sweet possibility.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. So, we got a glimpse of Jace's family. Not the usual family, but what do you think of it?**

 **what do you think of Jace and his crush on** **Clary?**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	9. 7- Mr Lewis

**6\. Mr Lewis (1,2K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

TAINTED LOVE PARTS

As I stare at my bike in the garage, I keep on wondering if I should be early, late or on time at the arcade. I mean, if I arrive early it proves how eager I am to be somewhere I will ultimately ridicule myself since I don't know how to play video games. But I also don't know if I should be right on time. What if Clarissa is one of those people who believe in the fashionably late. Who knew it would be so complicated to go on a date/not date!

"I knew that Simon thing was made up!" Alec exclaims behind me, startling me out of my thoughts and making me jump.

I turn to look at him, and see that he's looking at me with that smirk I hate so much. The one saying 'I was so right, and I see through you'.

"Like I said from the beginning, there's a girl somewhere in the picture," He adds, and I vehemently lie:

"No there isn't! I'm just going to meet _friends_!"

"No one dresses that nice, or thinks so much before meeting _friends_ ," He says as if it is some immovable rule. Then, he frowns a little and tilts his head to the side: "Though, maybe there is a Simon, and you're gay."

"I am _not_! I am just meeting friends. It's no big deal!" I cry out, finally hopping on my bike, just so I could escape Alec and his annoying stupid ass.

I hear him heave behind me and he tells me: "Hop on Shrimp, I'll drop you off. I'm heading out anyway."

"Thank you not. I don't want you to make fun of me all the way."

"I won't say a word. Silent rides are my favourites. Just hop on already."

I am about to refuse, but honestly, it is cold outside and a bit rainy. I could use the ride. So I simply get in the car, acting grungily so Alec doesn't feel like he's doing me a favour; and he silently drives us to the Arcade.

Once I am at the Arcade, I wait at the entrance, not sure of what else I should do. I mean, any normal person would have gone inside to start playing while waiting for their friends, but if I can delay to the maximum the moment Clarissa realises that I'm super lame at video games, I will.

So I wait for around fifteen minutes, until I see her parking her bike (her motorbike, not a first grade bicycle like mine) in the parking lot. When she sees me, she seems surprised, but still gives me her signature smirk as she tells me:

"What are you doing out here. Simon is already inside getting his score perfect!"

I follow her inside and for the rest of the afternoon we all play video games. Neither Clarissa or Mr Lewis make fun of me for being so lame (I mean I killed them several times, but we were on the same team). At some point, they even decided to switch to other things so I could try to not be lame. but it turns out I'm lame at everything, virtual or real, because bowling isn't my thing either.

Actually, I think that Mr Lewis is a nice guy to be around with. I do admit that I didn't have the guts to ask how they went from a teacher/student relationship to a friendship, but it is obvious to me that they are friends and just that. I don't think that they even ever kissed, unlike Clarissa and me.

And though I had all my hopes up for another kiss today, I won't be delusive and pretend that I had any chance on my side. Well, for sure Clarissa didn't ignore me, but she clearly didn't act as if we were on a date. Sometimes, I even felt like I was more Simon's friend than hers. But I guess that's just the way it is. And I won't lie and say that I didn't have a good time, because I did. I actually had a very good time. Especially when Mr Lewis received a phone call, and Clarissa and I were alone (though I did not say or do anything, because chicken me).

Anyway, after we spend the whole afternoon playing and hanging out, Mr Lewis is kind enough to offer me a ride home, and I happily accept because it's raining cats and dogs outside (I so didn't want to walk all the way home). For most of the ride, none of us say a thing, though he makes small conversation, like asking about my grades in Chemistry. He quickly drops the topic, because … well, I'm _really_ not good in Chemistry.

As I tell him that we are approaching my street, Mr Lewis says something I was not expecting: "I have to say that when she said that a kid from school might join us, I was not expecting you."

"Oh," Is all I find to say. I mean, what can I actually respond to that? And did she think that I might not come? Do I look like such a chicken in everyone's eyes? "Didn't she tell you that it would be me?"

"I don't think she knew your name before today," He knowingly says, and my heart sinks in my chest. How come she doesn't even know my name when we spent an hour a day together for two whole weeks? Am I that invisible?

"Did you ever give your name to her?" He asks, and I shake my head, because it never occurred to me to do so. Maybe that's why she calls me Pretty Boy, because she doesn't know my name. I mean, it's logic to me that I know her name, everyone does; but no one knows my name, so why should she?

Mr Lewis and I keep silent for a little more, until he pulls in front of my house. I am about to thank him, and go back home, when he stops me:

"Jace?" I turn my head to look at him, and he seems conflicted on whether he should keep talking or not. "You know, your kind of people, and the kind of people Clary is don't … mix up well together," He cautiously says, and I feel like someone just ironed my face with a steamy hot iron.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumble under my breath, and he simply gives me a knowing and patronising smile. Geez, am I that transparent? Does Clarissa know that I'm crushing on her?

Mr Lewis lets out a small sigh, replacing nervously his glasses on his nose as he tells me: "Just … don't end up doing anything stupid just to impress a girl. I think it's all that I'm going to say. I know I'm supposed to warn you about being yourself and not to go for someone who is ... so _different_ than you. But I'm just sticking up to: don't do anything stupid just in the hope that she'll like you more like that."

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. So, we got to see a bit of Jace's and Alec's relationship, which isn't one of the best ones. But what did you think about it?**

 **2\. What did you think of that glimpse of Simon?**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	10. 8- Clary

**7\. Clary (2,2K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Anastacia - Left Outside Alone**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

It's been two weeks since the Arcade and I have been seeing Clarissa every day but Sundays. Nothing really serious, just the two of us hanging out, but to me it's a start already. Maybe after enough hanging out, things will evolve to the better. Let's just hope I won't get stuck in the friend zone. Everything but the friend zone.

But right now, it's not like anything thrilling is actually happening. Clarissa mostly helps me with my Chemistry problem, and helps me not to be a disaster in that subject. And I won't complain, because she does really help me improve. Which is why I started skipping class. I mean, I'm still doing Chemistry, it's just that I don't do it with the person that school has assigned me to.

The first time I ditched Chemistry, I was so scared to go back home and have Mom yell at me for hours. But she didn't say anything. To be honest, I don't think that the school has called her so far, and I don't plan on stopping as long as I can work it off. I mean, I get better grades, understand Chemistry, and I get to spend time with Clarissa. I'm winning on every plans here. As long as I don't get caught by my mother.

I don't think that Clarissa knows that I'm skipping classes, either. I mean, to me, she just assumes that Herondale is absent more often than usual, since she thinks I'm a goody-to-shoes. She never asked me why I wasn't in class, but I remember that the first time we were on the rooftop, she directly assumed that the teacher was missing, so as long as she doesn't ask, I won't let down her assumptions.

We exchanged our numbers the Monday after the Arcade, and we've been texting quiet reasonably to one another. Of course, I'm the one who initiated the texting, under the pretence to ask her if she could help me more in Chemistry. After that, it all came naturally, and even when she wouldn't show up in school, she would still let me know that she wasn't coming (wether it would be me texting her to know if she was alright, or her letting me know just like that).

People at school started talking about us, but I'm not sure she heard about it. I was actually shocked by the number of rumours she wasn't aware of, concerning herself. It's like she really doesn't care. But I'm not like her, and I have to admit that some of the rumours concerning us do bother me.

Like the one where she gave me a love potion of sort (since she's so good in Chemistry and that her parents are mad scientists). Or the one where people say that she gave me an STD. But maybe I shouldn't complain so much. People know that I exist now. When they will look at their yearbook, it won't be 'Who's that weirdo?', but more 'Oh, that was the guy hanging out with Clarissa Morgenstern.' I guess it is a sort of improvement.

Some people even started talking to me when she's not here. Mostly pretending to talk about class, but really wanting to dig dirt out of me; but I play dumb in those cases. I mean, I finally get to hang out with Clarissa, it's _our_ special time together, so I'm not ready to share it with anybody.

Anyway, right now, the two of us are sitting by the park near our school, Clary teaching me some more about Chemistry. We started a new chapter yesterday, and since I suck so bad in this, I am having troubles catching up. When she starts throwing around yet another formula, I stop her:

"Slow down, Morgenstern!"

I hear her loudly heave, as if annoyed by something, so I lift my head up to look at her and see that she's scowling me. I frown, about to ask what I did wrong, but she cuts me before I can ask:

"Clary."

"What?"

"It's annoying to hear you calling me Morgenstern all the time. My name is Clary," She explains before returning her attention to everything she wrote on the paper so far.

Did I die and go to Heaven? Is this the best day of my life, or what? The thing is, no one ever calls Clarissa with her first name to her face. I don't actually know why. Everyone (including the teachers) call her Morgenstern. So I did not try to override the rule, and called her by her family name every time I talked to her. I do remember that Mr Lewis called her Clary, but now that I have the official go? I couldn't be happier.

But still, maybe this is the opportunity to remind her that I too have a name:

"And _my_ name is Jace, not Pretty Boy."

"But Pretty Boy suits you so much more."

I grimace, because here comes that word again. Seriously, what's wrong with calling me with my normal name like any other guy, and not like I was some kid? Clary (how I love being able to call her that), tilts her head to me and asks: "Don't you think so? Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me it's not true."

For a moment, I remain speechless. I was clearly not expecting this! Does she think I actually look pretty? I never saw it like that, and more as a way for her to mock me and call me a 'Mommy's boy', without really saying it. But if she thinks I'm pretty, it's a whole different way to see. Though ... she could have used another word. I mean, the English language is very diverse. Hot, sexy, handsome, gorgeous man, and so on. She could have picked something more ... manly to describe me. Because honestly, who uses the word sexy to describe a man? But then again, maybe she just sees me as a boy, hence the word boy at the end.

But anyway, I mumble something incomprehensible under my breath, and look back at the paper; and so we go back to her teaching me about Chemistry and me paying attention, though a part of my mind is always in that wonderland where her and I are an item.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Clary and I are on the rooftop, waiting for lunch to be over. We often come up here to have lunch together. Well, Clary used to do it alone, and I joined her because it is always better than eating alone in the bathroom (yeah, my life was sad like that).

Clary is sitting against the wall, her eyes closed and her face tilted to the sun. She's not smoking, but I noticed that over the past couple of weeks we spent together, she stopped smoking around me. She still smokes, sometimes when we meet after school I see her throwing her cigarette butt away; but she makes the effort not to smoke around me, and though I don't say anything about it, I still deeply appreciate it.

So Clary and I are on the rooftop, speaking about mundane things (yes, Clary does speak about something else than Chemistry) and out of nowhere she asks me:

"What are you planning for Halloween?"

I turn my head to look at her, startled by the question. She still has her eyes closed, enjoying the last rays of sun that the end of October offers us. The thing is, I don't have any plans for Halloween. Mostly because ... well, she's my only friend, and Halloween is something you celebrate with friends. I mean, I have some people from class that started talking to me, but we're not close enough to be called friends, and for them to invite me to parties.

"I'm not sure, yet," I tell her, though I perfectly know that I'll probably stay home alone, like every year. Alec will be out celebrating with his friends, and Mom celebrating with her own friends. Geez, even my Mom has more friends than me. How depressing.

"Fancy coming with me to a party?"

Is this really happening? Is Clarissa Morgenstern really inviting me to a party? I stop breathing all at once, just staring at her, and not sure of what to do or say. So for two long minutes, none of us say a single word, until Clary slightly frowns and opens her eyes to look at me:

"Don't feel obligated to come. I'm just proposing you to tag along with me. If you don't want to, it's okay, I won't be mad because you don't want to come with me."

"No! No! I'd love to come with you. Just ... what should we wear?" Okay, that was the lamest response ever in the history of responses! But I didn't know what else to say, that was so unexpected.

Clary shrugs, closing back her eyes as she mindlessly tells me: "Well, the whole idea behind Halloween is to disguise yourself, so don't come dressed all fancy."

"I mean … don't you want to have matching costumes?"

If she says yes, this will definitely count as a date. Wether she likes it or not, it will be a date to me. I can see her frowning a little, as if she didn't think of this. Maybe she doesn't like this idea of us having matching costumes, and she'll take back her invitation. Maybe I was in over my head with this whole thing. But then, she shrugs again, with her eyes still closed, and she says:

"I don't care. I just thought you'd like coming to the party. I didn't think of that whole dressing up part. I never actually do."

I don't say anything for a couple of minutes, trying to understand what just happened. I don't like how it sounds. It sounds way too much as if she invited a friend. And I don't want to be stuck in the stupid friend zone. Not with her.

"I think I'll go as Gomez Addams form the Addams Family," I let her know, hoping that I will pick some of her interest, but she just answers with a simple:

"Sure." Which sounds a lot like a 'whatever' to me.

I keep on staring at her, wishing so hard that she's not categorising me into the friend zone, when an idea suddenly pops up in my brain. And I immediately act on it, because I know that if I try to think about it, I'll never do anything. So I lean, and kiss her tender lips. Even though she is wearing lipstick. Even though I clearly don't have her consent, and we're not together. I still kiss her.

I can feel her surprise beneath my lips, but she doesn't shove me away. She actually leans into the kiss, which gives me the boldness to raise my hand to her face so I can cup it, and kiss her better, tilting a bit my head to the side. For a moment, we just share that simple kiss, my heart hammering so fast and loud that I am sure that the whole school heard it; and just like that, we break apart, not saying a word.

She doesn't say anything, and neither do I. And when the magic of the moment is gone, she gets up, saying that we should go to class, if we don't want to be late.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

As I am sipping on my tea, Clary explains me which element from the periodic table are the most important to remember, and why. This is a whole new world opening to me, as I am starting to see everything as numbers and two letters, even my tea. Though I admit, as usual, a part of my mind is on Clary and how beautiful she looks today.

Though it is starting to get colder, she is wearing black shorts with an Heath Ledger's Joker shirt and knee high black and white socks. Her makeup is rather soft compared to other times, she only has eyeliner on her eyes, and is not wearing any makeup, and her hair is all loose, and straight. I prefer when she has it curly, but I never told her that. I actually never told her how beautiful I think she is. I don't want her to shoo me off.

At some point, she downs her coffee, and says that she needs the bathroom, leaving me alone in the booth we occupy. It's a booth we used quite a lot over the past two weeks, and little by little, Clary stopped sitting in front of me and started sitting next to me, like any other couple would do. Maybe today I could work some courage and actually kiss her in that booth like any other couple; but all my dreams of Clary and I, and kissing are crushed as my brother sits right in front of me, an evil grin on his face as he exclaims:

" _Busted!_ "

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **1\. So, Jace and Clary kissed on Jace's** **initiative ... Do you think it meant something to Clary?**

 **2\. What do you think will happen during Halloween?**

 **3\. And what do you think will happen next with Alec?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	11. 9- Halloween

**8\. Halloween (2,7K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Chandelier**

 **Alessia Cara - How Far I'll Go**

 **Ed Sheehan - I See Fire**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

Alec looks at me with that vicious grin that says that I am so dead, and that he is so going to rat at our Mom that I've been cutting classes to hang out with Clarissa Morgenstern. The thing about Clary, is that _everyone_ in town knows about her. And in the eyes of Mom, Clary is very bad news that shouldn't be near fifty feet from her sons. She made a whole thing out of me having to tutor her, and an even bigger deal of Alec going to a party with her (yeah, because Mom doesn't know the difference between rave and party)

So anyway, Alec and I stare at one another, with my me having my brain go at a thousand miles so I can find a decent excuse that he'll buy; but before any of us can say anything, Clary arrives and sits back next to me, smiling to Alec as if it is completely normal for him to be where he is.

"Hey, Alec. How are you doing?"

Finally Alec looks away from me, though his evil grin is still on his idiotic face, and he says that he's doing better. From what, I sincerely ask you. Like I said, he came back from College because he was 'depressed', but he _really_ doesn't seem that depressed to me. He's aways out with his friends, partying and having fun, and the rare times that we're together, he takes a malicious pleasure on torturing me by saying mean things.

"I didn't know you were dating my baby brother," He nonchalantly says, and I inwardly growls. Of all the words from the English dictionary, he _had_ to use the word 'baby' to describe me. How Clary will ever stop calling me Pretty Boy, if even my own brother calls me baby in front of her.

But then, the dagger cuts deeper as Clary shakes her head and strongly states: "We're just hanging out. No big deal. Have you been doing what I showed you last time?"

 _Gees_! I've just been relegated at the rank of friend zone as if it was no big deal She did it as if I was just some dust other shoulder. _Hanging out_! I don't think that people who are just _hanging out_ kiss the way we did. Granted it was only a couple of times, but we're not French, we do not kiss mindlessly!

Alec glances at me, clearly aware that I wish Clary didn't talk about me as if I were just her friend, but as if we were indeed dating. He has a little smirk at me, but at least he doesn't sell me out to Clary. I don't know where this kindness comes from, but I am grateful that he doesn't embarrass me like that, because I don't think I would ever survive that.

I start gathering back my papers from the table because now that Alec came and ruined everything, I know that I won't be able to concentrate on anything but the humiliation I know is waiting for me back home. i hear Clary asking Alec if he has any plans for Halloween, and here once again, my ego takes a blast. I mean, it was supposed to be _our_ party. _Her and I. Our special time together_. No stupid Alec in the corner to make fun of me.

Alec glances in my direction, and I do the unthinkable thing, I silently ask my brother to be a brother for once. I know that Alec has been invited to several parties, but he always decides last minute. I don't want him to decide last minute to go with us. I don't want him around Clary and I.

"I already have plans. Maybe next time. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, after all," He surprisingly says, and with a little relief, I see that Clary isn't disappointed by the fact that he's not coming. Maybe she just proposed to be polite, or to make conversation. Yeah, I think I'll stick to this reality. I like it better like that.

"Anyway, I just sat here because I was surprised to see Shrimp in a coffee shop and not the library; but I guess the tutoring got reversed. I should go."

There is a fairy Godmother, and she just gave me a little bit of luck. Well, that's what I thought, until Clary says: "Actually, I should go as well. Luke just sent me a text, and I want to go home to see him."

Luke is Clary's Godfather from what I gathered. She very briefly mentioned his name when she told me that from time to time he was out of town for business (which, I don't know). She only said his name a coupe of times, but I am sure that she loves him like a father.

Anyway, we all get up, and Alec says that he'll drive me home, and so we just go pick up my bike to put it in the trunk before he starts driving us home. For a moment, I have the happy thought that maybe Alec won't mention anything since he's been silent for over five minutes; but of course, it's Alec we're talking about:

"I can't believe you got friend-zoned in front of me like that. That was a Mastercard moment," He snickers, and I simply look in front of me, mumbling loud enough for him to her:

"Shut up, Alec."

Of course, it's like I said nothing as Alec goes on: "Wait until Mom knows you're having wet dreams about _Clarissa Morgenstern_! I think I'll get my camera ready for that."

"I do _not_ have wet dreams about Clary!" I vehemently lie, because honestly, I dream about her every night. And when I touch myself, it's not to prom, but to the thought of her.

"Sure you don't."

"If you say anything to Mom, I'll let her know that you snuck Clary inside the house so you could have sex with her," I threaten, because as much as Alec wants to screw with me, I know he won't be stupid enough to drag himself in the same hole as me.

" _What_?! I never had sex with Morgenstern! Do I have to remind you that I'm gay?" Alec denies, and I roll my eyes, feeling suddenly powerful. I have sometime on Alec, and he wasn't even aware I had it.

"I saw you Alec. I saw you snuck her out of the house, and I heard you talking to her about her legs and how you liked the different. I'm not stupid. Turn me in, and I'll do the same."

Alec opens his mouth, probably to deny once again anything that has to do with Clary; but then he simply settles to saying: "You can be really stupid sometimes."

I don't reply anything to that, appreciating my little victory, and the rest of the ride is silent just as I like them. But just as he parks in the garage, Alec tells me something that brings back clouds in my mood: "The school called today about you cutting Chemistry classes. Mom is _pissed_!"

This makes me gulp a little, because Mom is never fun when she's pissed. She can scream for hours, and keep on ranting at you for days, months even. So it is with that in mind that I get home on my tiptoes, hoping to do a straight-line to my room where I can hide from her ire. Of course, I'm not that lucky.

"Jace Stephan Wayland! Where do you think you're going?!" She screams in my back as I put my foot on the first step of the stairs.

"In my room to study?" I innocently say. Maybe if I pretend I don't know why she is pissed, she won't scream for too long.

"Study? Why don't you study in class, as school has planned for you?"

I turn to face her, my whole body sweating, and my mouth completely dry. Mom is going to kill me if I tell her with whom I spend my class-cutting time. And suddenly miracle.

"A friend of mine has a sibling that can help him with his Chemistry disaster. But since the schedules aren't easy to make fit, it's usually during that said class. And since it pays off, I didn't see the big deal to tell you, as long as he goes for the tests," Alec nonchalantly lies straight to our mother's face.

Mom looks at him, a bot shocked, but doesn't question this any further, just telling me to let her know of that kind of thing before she has to feel stupid when the school calls her to tell her that I'm cutting classes.

I nod, going to my room, and not believing what just happened. Alec just had a real brotherly moment with me.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

Today is Halloween, and I can't even breath properly for I a so excited about tonight. I watched tens of videos on Youtube to do the perfect makeup for Gomez Addams. I know it's not that complicated, but I don't want anything to go wrong. I have the suit, the painted thin moustache, the black hairspray and I rehearsed hundreds of times saying 'Cara Mia' with the proper accent and all.

Right now, Alec is dropping me at Taki's (where I'm waiting for Clary) because he told Mom that we were going together at the party. I was planning on sneaking out, but Alec's plan is definitely better. He is dressed as the Joker, but I'm sure many people will be dressed like him. We don't say anything to each other during the whole ride, and when I get down, he simply tells me to enjoy my evening and have fun.

I don't even have to wait for Clary for long, that she appears behind me dressed as Morticia Addams. _We're matching_! It looks like her skin is even whiter than usual, but that's maybe due to the long black hair. She's wearing red lipstick and nail polish, and her dress has a low cut, though it is as long and gothic as Morticia's.

I smile at her, and she tells me that a cab should pick us upon a minute. She's so beautiful, I can't even take my eyes off of her to pretend to look around for the cab. I won't lie, I like her red hair better, and black suits her as well. I'm … completely mesmerised by her. Yes I think it's the word. I'm so lost into the sight of her that I only realised that time passed when I hear blasting music around us, and realise that we are at the party.

Clary and I have a beer together, though I don't really like the taste of it. But I don't say anything, because I really don't want Clary to call me a goody-too-shoes once again. Especially not tonight. And especially when I'm the one who proposed a beer to begin with.

The party is out of town, two towns further if I recall correctly what Clary told me, which means nobody knows me here. Well, nobody knows me back in the school, but here it's all new. Some people come and talk to me, and usually, it's when Clary managed to disappear somewhere.

At some point, a girl dressed as if she was in the thirties comes to talk to me, asking if I wanted a drink; but it's just when I finally see Clary emerge from the crowd. So I beeline to her, and once we are next to one another, she gently shakes her head and tells me:

"You're supposed to have fun, Pretty Boy."

"I am having fun," I retort, because I am. Though I'd like sharing my fun with her, I am having fun talking to people and sharing this experience new to me with them.

"Then why are you here with me, instead of giving Vivien Leigh the time of her life? I'm sure she can be fun to fool around with."

"Maybe it is because I want to spend the evening with you, _Cara Mia_ ," I retort, taking her arm and kissing it as Gomez kisses the arm of his wife.

I don't know what took over me. Probably the alcohol. I did drink a lot of beers, and I tried several punches. But still, I end up kissing Clary on the lips, in front of everyone, though I'm sure not many people look at us. And it's not like the last time I kissed her. This time I am not shy or anything, I just go for it, cupping her face, and bringing her closer to me.

She responds to my kiss by wrapping her hands around my neck, and slightly opening her mouth to me. And that's how Clary and I end up spending most of our evening, kissing in a corner with me feeling it harder and harder to keep my hands to her face. But I still do so.

Still, we do mingle with people of the party such as werewolves, vampires, warlocks and fairies. At some point, the night starts turning into dawn, and I try to call alec to know if he can pick me up back at Taki's. But of course, he doesn't answer. He's probably either drunk, either still partying.

"It's okay. You can crash at my place," Clary proposes, kissing my cheek as she gets in the taxi, and I certainly doesn't argue with that. Maybe if I'm lucky my dreams will come true … Though I don't think they will. I'm tired, and I'm not even sure how to … handle everything right.

When the cab drops us, I see that we are at the ouster line of town. Clary and her Godfather really live with no neighbours. Their house is rather big for a two people house, and when I get inside, I feel that it is even bigger. But I don say anything, and follow Clary where she leads me. Which I think is her bedroom. Well, there's a bed, and girl's cloths on the desk. She pints a door inside her room, telling me that the bathroom is there, and I go in to wash my face and hair.

When I get out, Clary is makeup and wig-less, wearing a tank top and nothing else but her panties; and she tells me: "I'm too dead to prepare a guest bedroom for you. So either you crash my bed with me, either you crash the couch with Jon. But I'm warning you, he's a talkative sleeper."

I don't even bother asking who is Jon, and get in bed with her after stripping to my boxer. I do have a boner, but I really hope that she didn't see it. What if she wants to go further, and … I end up making a follow myself. Still, I up myself to my elbows, and lean to kiss her goodnight. Clary kisses me back, and finally, my hands decide that they should try to go for her breast, though my mind is ver against it.

I still do it, loving feeling those curves in my palms, and before I can register anything, I enter my tongue in her mouth, rubbing myself against her and feeling my temperature rise against my better judgement. Clary doesn't seem bother by that, on the contrary; but still, when my hand tries to go under her tank top, she breaks our kiss and turns her head to the side.

I won't lie, I'm grateful that she has us stop here, because like I said, I don't want to make a fool of myself. So I simply keep my hand on her breast, spooning against her, and let slumber take over me.

Still, I am awaken by the need to go to the bathroom. I open my eyes, ready to bold to Clary's en-suite bathroom, but I find a man staring at me from the threshold of Clary's room. We stare at one another for a micro second, Clary still sleeping at my side; and then he asks with a very authoritative voice:

"Who are you?'

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ Please do tell me** **what** **you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the** **challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.**

 **~ So I have a lot to do lately, so I won't answer to reviews as often as before. I still read them, and they still encourage me a lot, but I am very busy IRL wise, and it eats a lot of my time, so I'd rather write when I have time than answer to reviews. Not that I don't appreciate them, it's just that I don't have a magic clock yet to have more than 24 hours a day.**

 **1\. Anyway, Jace and Clary are starting to get somewhere ... Or are they** **? What do you think Clary feels about all of these?**

 **2\. What do you think will happen next chapter?**

 **3\. And what did you think of Alec in this chapter?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	12. 10 - Luke & Jon

**8\. Luke & Jon (1,2K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Cheap Thrills**

 **Alessia Cara - How Far I'll Go**

 **Ed Sheehan - Thinking Out Loud**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

As the man and I stare at each other, all I can think of is that I'm about to die a virgin. I should have tried something pushier yesterday night with Clary. The man has deep blue eyes, hidden behind reading glasses (I suppose they are reading glasses, since he's holding a paper). He's obviously out of bed, since he's wearing pyjama trousers and an old shirt, and his hair is all over the place. He obviously didn't get to comb his hair to make it look nice and professional. Especially with that grey strike in the middle of it.

Clary stirs a little in her sleep next to me, and the man's eyes go to her for a flickering second, before going back to me. But none of us has the time to say anything as a ball of black and white hair pushes the man out of the way and rushes to Clary, jumping on the bed in order to lick her face.

"Stop it, Jon! I'm not even awake, yet!" Clary shrieks, hiding herself under the covers, away from the maddening tongue of the dog. It's a husky (probably adult because he doesn't look like a pup), and finally I put two and two together. Jon is the name she gave her dog! Though I don't understand why she says he's talkative, dogs don't speak.

Clary doesn't remain hidden for long, and emerges from under her covers so she can scratch her dog behind its ears, calling him a good boy. Jon lets his tongue hang on his side, panting heavily as his tail happily wiggles from left to right in a frenzy.

It seems that Clary has completely forgotten about me, and is leaving me fearing for my life next to her, because she's all about pampering her dog while I'm all about shaking, thinking what her Godfather might do to me. I mean, I am half naked next to his Goddaughter, and in her bed.

"Who's that, Clary?" He asks, pointing me with his chin, but barely acknowledging me anymore; and Clary doesn't even look up to either of us. Her attention is all on Jon, and Jon alone. Still, she makes an introduction that I would have like better if she actually didn't use certain words:

"Pretty Boy, meet Luke. Luke, meet Pretty Boy."

Her Godfather, Luke, raises an eyebrow at her, clearly saying something to her through his eyes; but Clary simply shrugs and goes back to giver her attention to her dog who happily sticks his tongue out. Luke stays a minute more, before glancing at me and leaving the room, and finally allowing me to breath normally. How come I found myself in that kind of situation? This is a situation for the local quarterback, or the troublemaker! _Not me_! Not Jace Wayland nobody knows of and who hasn't kissed more than one girl in his life! It wasn't such a great idea to sleep with Clary after all. I should have slept on the couch with Jon, and I wouldn't be fearing for my life right now.

"Stop freaking out! You're making _me_ nervous," Clary tells me, even though she's still scratching her dog. It's like she's taking about the weather, instead of the fact that her Godfather found me in her bed, half naked.

"Luke was just surprised to find someone home. I don't bring home lots of people, and even less let them stay the night," She explains, and suddenly my heart no longer beats frenetically with fear, but with hope.

It's not in her usual behaviour to have people home, but she still brought _me_ home, which must mean that I am somewhat special to her. I mean, she just said that, as if it was no big deal to have brought me home, so it must mean that she doesn't see me as a Mister Anybody. I have a special place in her life, and maybe even in her heart. Let's hope for that.

I nod to her statement, not sure if I should actually say something, and I am saved from making a fool out of myself and making everything awkward between Clary and I, by my brother calling me on my phone. His voice is heavy with sleep (or maybe he's still drunk, who knows), and he asks me if I got home, or not.

"I'm still with Clary, Alec," I let him know, only to wish that I hadn't when he says:

"Oh, really? Are you still a virgin then?"

I furiously blush, glancing at Clary to see if she heard anything. Thank God, it seems that she didn't, since she's still cuddling her dog, before getting up, and opening the window to let the air in.

" _Shut up_ , Alec!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what I thought. Still a virgin. Anyway. Be at Taki's in an hour, so we can come back home together, and keep our story clean. We slept at a friend of mines for the record. _Girl_."

I don't even time to agree that Alec already hangs up. I stare at my phone for half a second, before letting Clary know: "I think I should go. Alec is waiting for me at Taki's."

"I'll walk you there. It's tricky to get to town from here of you don't know the way. I'll use to occasion to walk Jon," She says, hopping into a pair of jeans; and so I do the same, regretting suddenly to not have taken some casual clothes as well.

I dress back in his costume of Gomez Addams, and Clary and I left the house, Jon jumping around us, so happy to be out in the streets. Clary doesn't tell me anything, her hands shoved in her trousers and her eyes seeming to be so far away; and too I silently walk next to her, though I do try to make some conversation. Mostly, I tell her that I had a good time, and I hope that we could go ta a party together again.

When we arrive in front of Taki's, forty minutes later, Clary takes out of her pocket a cigarette and says:

"Well, bye Pretty Boy. See you around."

We're standing one in front of the other, and I suddenly wonder if I should kiss her goodbye. I mean, it's what couples do. But … are we a couple? I don't know. I mean, technically, the whole school already thinks we are, and well … we did kiss and got to second base yesterday night … So we should be a couple… right?

But before I can gather the courage to lean and kiss her, she already waves me goodbye, and puts her cigarette in her mouth walking away with her dog.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ So** **I actually did not use this story as my NaNoWriMo, I was inspired elsewhere. In my book series actually. So if you are interested, you should check WattPad and look for Blooming Hearts (and its sequel Fighting Hearts). You should go and check it out, I'm sure that you will love it. Especially since the lead female character is a bit like this Clary.**

 **1\. Anyway, What did you think of luke and** **Jon? And of Luke's reaction to Jace?**

 **2\. What do you think will happen next chapter?**

 **3\. And what did you think of Alec in this chapter?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


	13. 11 - Hugs & Food

**8\. Hugs & Food (3,1K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Sia - Cheap Thrills**

 **Alessia Cara - How Far I'll Go**

 **Ed Sheehan - Thinking Out Loud**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Jace's PoV**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

It has been a week since Halloween, and Clary hasn't been answering any of my calls or texts. And she didn't show up in school either (though this isn't weird coming from her). But we used to text each other before Halloween, so why did she stop all of the sudden? I try not too be too annoying and to not harass her, but it does bug me that she's MIA all of the sudden. Maybe it was a big deal for her Godfather to find me in her bed, after all.

It's actually weird to see how the fact that Clary isn't with me at school changes the interactions I have with people. I made some friends during that week without Clary. A guy named Jordan, and another named Raphael. We're in the same PE class, and so we hang out together after school all week long, since Clary there for me to hang out with her. I have to say, it is nice to have guy friends, though I couldn't really say what is so different between having a girl friend and a guy friend.

Anyway, all of this to say that it is Friday after school, and that I am at Clary's doorstep, trying to figure out why she did not give a sign of life during the whole past week. I gathered the courage to come all the way to her place on my bike (though I got lost a couple of times); but right now, I am still hesitating on knocking at her door. I mean, I would rather not have to face her Godfather alone. _Especially_ alone. I don't know. He has that frightening aura around him, and I am not ashamed to say that he scares the crap out of me

But of course, when I finally knock, all my luck goes away, and Luke answers the door. He looks me from head to toe, before recognising me, and narrowing his eyes at me as he inquires: "What are you doing here?"

"Erm … I was worried … about Clary … She … forgot her homework …" I lie, because what if he doesn't know that she ditches school, and I get her in trouble. And … well, parents always like when we tell them it's always all about school, even when it isn't. I mean, I think they do. At least my mother does.

Luke furrows his brow a little, but there is a small smirk on his lips that clearly says that he doesn't believe me. But still, he lets me know: "She's not in a good place, right now. I don't think you'd like seeing her."

"… But … her homework," I lamely insist. I mean, the guy clearly knows that there are no homework for me to give Clary. Not that she would care anyway.

But still, Luke steps aside, and tells me that Clary is in her room. So I walk up the stairs and once I am in front of her door, I knock a little to be polite. There are no answer, but I suddenly feel a presence next to me. I look down, and see Jon, looking up at me with hope, his tail waggling all over the place. I can't help myself but to smile a little to the dog, before knocking again, a little more loudly.

Of course, there is still no answer, and honestly I am not even surprised. That would have been too normal for Clary to answer like any other given person. So I slightly open the door, at least to see if she's alive, but what I wasn't expecting is for Jon to bolt into the room, and head straight to Clary, not even bothered by the smoke, or the strange smell in the room.

Before that, she was laying on her bed, upside down, and her legs up in the air, with her feet resting against the wall. She's wearing black and white socks that come all the way up to her thighs, and a large shirt with Heath Ledger's Joker on it. And _nothing else_. Well, I assume she is wearing panties at some point, but she has no shorts, or trousers.

As soon as Jon jumps in the bed, Clary loudly gasp and promptly gets up, waving away the smoke that her cigarette was doing, and opening the window in a jiffy. "Shit, Jon! How in the fuck did you get in here?!" She asks, as if expecting an answer from the dog, but of course Jon simply barks and wiggles his tail.

Then, she finally notices my presence, and once the shock of seeing me in her house wears off, she squints her eyes at me and snaps with an anger that I was not expecting: "What are you doing here?!"

"… Erm … I was worried …."

" _Geez_! Can't you take a hint?! I don't want to see you, right now!" She shouts at me with temper, and I have to say that it hurts. It's like she's actually trying to be mean at me.

She lets herself fall back on her bed, while I am still dumbfounded over what just happened; and Jon whimpers a bit, doing his best to snuggle his way next to her. For a whole minute, I don't say anything, nor move; and then I hardly swallow, doing my best to show my hurt as I tell her: "Sorry to have bothered you."

I'm about to close the door, when she interrupts me, and apologises: "It's okay. I'm the one sorry to have talked to you like that. I shouldn't have done that." She looks at me, and I can see in her eyes that she's sorry to have snapped at me. Then, she adds: "I'll be at school by Monday, I promise."

I can tell that she dismissed me in a polite way, but there is something … off about her. I don't know. She doesn't look like the Clary I know. And so I end up asking a question that I actually don't like hearing when it comes to me: "Are you _sure_ that you're alright?"

Clary darkly snickers, probably because she doesn't like to hear that question as well, before she tells me with her best commercial voice: "I'm super duper fine."

But as she says so, I see tears escaping her eyes while she stares at the ceiling, doing her best to avoid my gaze. I scratch my nose, not sure of what I should do, and I walk further into the room as I ask: "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Do you want a hug? I heard it helps," I propose, though I'm not sure if it actually does. I didn't have hugs when I needed them the most.

Clary doesn't answer, but that doesn't stop me from removing my shoes and laying next to her (on the opposite side of Jon), taking her in my arms. For a moment, she doesn't do anything, before she turns so she can face me, and she snuggles against me, silently crying her heart out. It's weird how I never really lingered on the fact that Clary is someone _really_ small, but right now, it hits me. She's really small, but I feel like she fits perfectly against my body.

For a long time, I feel her sobbing against my chest, but I don't say anything, because I know how empty the words would sound to her. When my father dies, everyone had their comforting words, but none of those words comforted me. And now that I think about it, I wish that I had a friend back then who would have let me cry on their shoulder. Maybe I would have grieved more easily, with less sorrow.

Without really realising how, I fall asleep, Clary still locked in my arms; but I am awaken by something … weird. At first, I don't move, mostly because I can feel that Clary is still in my arms, and I don't want to wake her. But also because I'm trying to indetify that strange noise hat woke me. It's … like someone is talking, but like a caveman. Finally, I open my eyes, and look around, so I can locate the origin of that weird noise, and … it is Jon moving and _talking_ in his sleep.

It is so weird that I sit up, only to see that Clary is smirking at me. "I told you that he was a talkative sleeper."

"Yeah. And he moves as well," I point put, as Jon moves as if he is chasing some cat in his dreams. _Do dogs actually dream?_ Clary shakes her head, and caresses Jon's, all the while muttering:

"Stupid dog." There isn't a ounce of annoyance in her voice. Just love. It's actually visible on her face as she smiles at the sleeping dog, bringing her knees to her chest.

"How old is he?" I ask to make conversation, and she shrugs, her curls bouncing around her head. I think this is the most beautiful I have seen her. Au natural, under the pale moonlight that makes her skin looks like a porcelain doll.

"I don't know. I found him in the streets a few years back, and I took him in. It's actually weird, because huskies are a very praised breed, and therefore they're never homeless. But I'm glad I found him."

She looks back at her dog, gently scratching him behind his ears, and I don't know how, but there is suddenly an awkwardness growing between us. It's something strange to have this awkward moment coming out of nowhere. For a moment, none of us say or do anything, both aware of the thick atmosphere that suddenly grew out of nowhere; and finally, she says something, though she is not looking at me when she does so:

"Thank you for this afternoon. Hugging did help."

It's just now that she mentions the passing of time by talking of the afternoon, that I realise that it is pitch black. _Mom is going to kill me_! But I don't say anything to Clary, and just tell her:

"No problems." I hesitate a little, before going further: "Do you want to talk about it?"

She scrounges her nose, and keeps her eyes on Jon, lowering her head a little, and making me assure her: "You don't have to."

"It's my parents death anniversary. It has always been a bummer for me, but I think that this year, the weed made me have a really bad trip, instead of numbing me."

"Did you ever try visiting their graves? I don't know why, but for me, it helps when I'm feeling blue about my Dad."

She still doesn't look at me, and seems way too focused on Jon, giving the fact that he is still sleeping; but she still lets me know: "They don't have a grave, or anything. They're just dead."

She's not being mean or anything, but I understand by the dead tone of her voice better than to push the issue. I don't actually know a lot about her being an orphan. I don't know for how long her parents are dead, how long she's lived with her Godfather, and I juste learnt right now that her parents are dead on the same day. Probably in some accident (that's the only logical explanation).

" _Anyway_. How come you're not close with Alec? If I had a brother, we would be _so_ fucking close," She says, clearly changing topic. I hesitate a little on trying to do the same thing, because Alec and I's relationship is … well not something nice to begin with. But … well, relationships are built over talking about each other, and if she doesn't do it, I have to do it for the both of us.

"Well … I don't know. He became weird all of the sudden, and … we don't get along that much."

"But he loves you very much," She objects and I roll my eyes at her. "He told me so, and I'm telling you he wasn't lying. When did he start acting weird?"

"I don't know. Since always… Since it's been just the two of us and our mother," I let her know, not believing for one second that Alec could have told her anything remotely nice to her concerning me.

"Since your father died, and he had to be the role model, in addition of being the brother?" She asks, and I roll my eyes. Alec doesn't think like that. He likes to humiliate me, and remind me that I'm not like everybody.

"Alec is just Alec. He probably told you nice things so you could show sympathy to him. It's like his 'depression'. Mom is all over his case, because he's 'depressed'; but he's out every night, and keeps on partying and seeing friends. Aren't depressed people supposed to sulk in their room?" I rant, because this is something that has been bugging me. Mom always does her best to please Alec because of his 'depression', and I feel that he's clearly faking.

"You know, depression has a funny way of showing itself. Some people sulk in their room, other are very good at pretending, and as soon as they're alone, they break down. If your brother goes out a lot, it's just because he's faking not being depressed, and apparently he does a good job at it, because you don't have a clue," Clary says, defending, and I let a 'humph' because I don't agree and I don't want to start an argument with Clary over _Alec_.

"Maybe you should talk to him. Let him know that you don't like the relationship you have with him," She suggests, and once again I don't commit myself too much into the conversation, and simply shrug. She seems to understand that I don't want to talk about Alec, and so I change topic:

"So, where do you plan to go to for college?"

She doesn't seem phased by my obvious transition, and shrugs, stretching a little as she lets me know:

"Honestly, I never really thought about it. Luke does remind every once in a while that it's in two years, but two years is in _forever_. Though, to be honest, I would like to make my side job a full time job, but Luke would never allow it."

"What's your side job?"

"I work for Luke. He's a PI, and I do his papers, help him out on a few cases, look if sometimes they aren't any wanted criminals that he could catch. It's really cool, but Luke would _never_ in a million years hire me full time."

This is actually very impressive. I never thought that Clary did cool stuff like that on her spare time. I thought she was more into other cool stuff. Like riding her bike, or getting piercings. But working for a PI is pretty cool. Actually I didn't even picture Luke as such, but now that she mentions it, it does fit the PI thing without a problem in the work. It does suit him.

Jon grumbles in his sleep, almost sounding human, and so I point out: "He's probably letting us know that were disturbing his sleep with our talks next to him."

Clary genuinely laughs with me before promptly getting up from the bed and taking my hand as she tells me: "I'm starving anyway. Let's go eat something good."

We silently go to the kitchen, but once there, I let her do her thing. I mean, it's her home, so I don't know where stuff are and I don't want to get in the way. She cooks us some French fries to go with a very well furnished salad, and then we both go to the living room, our arms full with food. She cooked for a battalion. Once on the sofa, I check my phone and see that Mom didn't try to contact me to know where I am. I wonder if she even knows that I'm not home.

"There's some pecan pie in the oven if you're interested," Luke suddenly says from the threshold, tearing me away from my phone and making Clary squeal before she bolts to the kitchen to bring back the said pie. Where is she going to put that? We have enough food in front of us for a week already!

Luke doesn't say anything until Clary is comfortably installed in the couch, happily eating her fries with her fingers while I pretend to be civilised and eat mine with a fork.

"I have a lead on a case. I have to leave," He says, his eyes solely on Clary.

"Okay," She says, shrugging and stuffing her mouth, grumbling on the way that she's never that hungry in her life.

"I should be back in the middle of next week."

"Okay."

"I'm leaving tonight," He insists, his eyes still on Clary. There is definitely another one of their moment where they exchange words without talking; but then, Clary shrugs, and switches on the TV as she says with her mouth full:

"Okay."

"You're gonna be okay?"

"Geez, Luke! Stop worrying so much! You'll look like a Grandpa in two years, otherwise. I can already see grey hair," She teases, taking a plate of salad, all the while a mocking smile lingers on her face.

"Don't insult the hair," He darkly says, pointing a warning finger on her.

"Grey hair are for worried people. I have something in my room in case you want to _relax_ ," She proposes, and it takes me a couple of seconds to understand what she is implying. _That_ was the weird smell in her room, and _that_ explains why she is _so_ hungry. _Weed_.

"Anyway, Luke. Pretty Boy is here. I won't do anything stupid, so just go already. Bring home some bread, or I'll call social services and tell them that you're starving me."

Luke shakes a little his head, before glancing at me as if he just recalled that I am here as well. I look down at my plate of untouched fries, and look back up when I hear him walk further into the room. He has a bean bag in his hand, and he tells us goodbye, before leaning and kissing Clary's forehead and waving me goodbye.

When we are alone, Clary opens her Netflix, and asks me, her mouth full of salad: "Wanna catch up on Game Of Thrones?"

"I've never watched an episode before."

That makes her stop eating and look at me with big rounded green eyes: " _WHAT? Why_? Don't you like naked ladies and dragons?"

I shrug, not sure what to tell her, and then say: "I don't know … I … I just study a lot."

"Yeah, that's an understatement to this point. Let's watch naked ladies and dragons. If you have half a brain, you'll love the plot as well."

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ So just so you know, I do not mean to insult anyone who do not like Game of Thrones. That's how Clary feels, not me. Plus, just so you know, Clary jumped when Jace opened the door, because she was smocking weed, and she didn't want to get her dog high. That being said, question time:**

 **1\. What did you think of that little moment between Jace and** **Clary?**

 **2\. What do you think will happen next chapter?**

 **3\. And what did you think of Clary in this chapter?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Love, Mina 💚💚💚**


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